Past March a new organic donut shop Koe Donuts opened its doors that immediately caught my eye due to its high quality design starting from the branding through to it’s interior design. No surprise when I found out that the creative team behind it included star architect Kuma Kengo, award-winning...
Shikoku is the smallest of the major islands in Japan. In the lush greens of Kochi prefecture, about 30 min away from the hustle and bustle you’ll find Auberge Tosayama. Surrounded by mountains and rivers you can enjoy contemporary architecture, great dining as well as a outdoor hot spring bath...
Kagoshima is not an easy place to build considering the many natural factors such as occasional volcanic eruptions, strong winds during typhoon season as well as the strong summer sun that need to be considered. This house designed by Yanase Architects solves for the many challenges with a beautiful deep...
Sanwa is a Japanese company that aims to challenge our preconceived notions about the “creation” of style. They design and sell most anything and everything related to the realm of home interior and exterior. Their website is a refreshingly navigable catalog, although slightly intimidating in its array of products (storage...
The Miho Museum is a modern museum with a mystifying history. Nestled in the mountains of Shigaraki southeast of Kyoto (an area traditionally known for its ceramic kilns), it was founded by Mihoko Koyama, who believed that works of art have spiritual energy. Mihoko was the originator of Shinji Shumeikai,...
There are many challenges when building in Japans dense cities. Two that make it to the top of the list is to maintain privacy while letting in enough natural light and creating outdoor spaces within those restrictions that create pleasant views. Arbol Architects is a architecture firm in Osaka that...
Guntu is a 38-passenger cruise ship that takes guests on a journey along the coastlines of Japan’s Seto Inland Sea. Part yacht, part ryokan, part high-end hotel, Guntu is not only a true achievement in nautical design, but it also represents something exceptional in the world of contemporary hospitality as...
Japan is known for its “Capsule Hotels” but newly opened one in Nara stands out. Often the hotels have very little to do with craftsmanship but the “Nara Forest Hotel” is different. This hotel’s signature is the generous use of Japanese cypress carefully integrated in each guest room, the entrance...
When traveling to Japan most people often visit the big urban areas such as Tokyo and Kyoto, but you haven’t really seen Japan if you haven’t gone to the country side. Over 80% of Japan consists of mountains and woods and the the beautiful 17 room Beniya Mukayu is located...
The Japanese Nikkapokka were inspired by the “Knickerbockers” fashion movements in the early 20th century. Before World War I boys would wear knickerbockers until puberty and then transitioned to long pants. Baseball players still wear a stylized version of Knickerbockers today although they have become less baggy and many players...
If you know about Japanese tea ceremony it’s often associated with being very serious, having to kneel a long time and if you’re interested in learning it, the hurdles seems to be hight since it requires many years of practice. Simultaneously more people all over the world are starting to...
Daitoku-ji is a buddhist temple in Kyoto, one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen. Currently the the subtemple Shinju-an is closed and preparing to reopen in fall to showcase something that hasn’t been done before. The fusuma (room dividers), usually covered with historical paintings, will...
